Parallel bars.



IM. B. REACH.

PARALLEL BARS.

APrLIoATIoN FILED MAY 29, 1911.

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M. B.'REAGH.

PARALLEL BARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. 1911.

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COLUMBIA PLAOCRAFII 00, WASHINDTON. D. C.

EETTED STATES -PATEN T UFFTCE.

MILTON B. REACH, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO A. G.SPALDING 8c BROS. MANFG CO., A CORPORATION 0F MASSACHUSETTS.'

` PARALLEL BARS.

- Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Parallel Bars, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to exercising apparatus and particularly toparallel bars andV the means employed for adjusting the parallel bars inrelation to each other to increase or decrease the distance betweenthem, and to a caster arrangement.

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangementof parts hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure y1 is a vertical section through thesupport for the parallel bars with my improved adjusting means inconnection therewith. I have thought it necessary to show only one barand its support, it being understood that four supports and two bars areemployed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the supporting standard; Figs. 3 and4 show respectively a side elevation and a front view of the laterallyadjustable swinging bracket or support which is mounted in the standardand in which the vertical adjustable post is carried; Figs. 5 and 6 areviews of the combined nut and fork forming one part of my improvedadjusting means. Fig. 7 is a detail view. Figs. 8, 9 and 10 show thebase and caster supports.

In carrying out my invention, I aim to provide a parallel bar structurein which the bars, when adjusted laterally toward or from each other,will be held securely in their adjusted position against movement ineither direction, thus avoiding the possibility of accident to theperson using the exercising apparatus.

In one form of apparatus as heretofore employed, the supports, whenadjusted, required the attendant or the person using the machine tooperate a setting device, as a set screw or bolt, in order to hold thesupport in its adjusted position. With this form of holding devicereliance must be had for security and certainty upon the care exercisedby the person adjusting the supt in order that a firm holding may be Idesign to provide such an adjusting device that will hold the support Beit known that I, MILTON B. REACH,I

when adjusted without requiring any special setting action of saiddevice or the exercise of any special care on the part of the operator,to lock this device after the proper posit-ion has been reached.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates a hollow standard havingpivot-ally mounted thereinat 2 a swinging support 3 1n which the post orbar 4 carrying the parallel bar 5 is vertically adjustable to raise andlower the said parallel bar as may be necessary to suit the height ofthe user. The swinging support 3 comprises a hollow or substantiallytubular upper portion, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and a solid lowerportion 3 which is of less width than the diameter of the upper tubularportion, Vthe lower end of the said support terminating in a fork 6. Theinner post or bar 4 is vertically adjustable within this swingingsupport, and may be held at any desired height by a locking pin 7engaging either one of the sockets 8 in the bar or post, the saidlocking pin being carried by a spring 9 screwed to the swinging support3 at 10, and being controlled by a lever 11 pivoted at 12 to the upperpart of the swinging post and having a pin 13 which, when the lever isswung outwardly to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, willpress the spring 9 laterally to withdraw the locking pin 7 from thesocket 8, and then the supporting post or bar 4 may be adjustedvertically, as may be desired. For'effecting the lateral adjustment ofthe swinging support 3 with the vertically adjustable post, thefollowing mechanism is provided: A screw threaded bar or shaft 14 ismounted in bearings 15, 16, nearthe lower end of the standard, the saidscrew shaft or rod being slightly in- ,clined upwardly. This shaft hason its forward end a hand wheel 17 and carries mounted thereon a nut 18threaded to correspond with the threads of the screw shaft, the said nuthaving an upwardly projecting forked portion 19 embracing the lower endof the swinging support 3, andcarrying a pin 2O passing throughV thefork thereof. This nut is also provided with a downwardly extendingforked portion 21 which receives the cranked end 22 of an arm 23, whichis pivotally mounted at 24 in the wall of the hollow standard andcarries a pointer 25 on the out-er end of its journal adapted to moveover a scale 26 which bearsthereon suitable numbers or letters toindicate certain readings ofa chart which accompanies the apparatus,giving a certain distance between the parallel bars for certain heights.

It will be seen from the structure described. that it is simplynecessary to turn t Le hand wheel and rotate the screw in order toeffect the lateral adjustment of the parallel bar, the nut 18 beingcaused to travel on the said screw and carrying with it the swingingsupport because of the engagement of the fork thereof with the fork ofthe nut. The nut is guided or held from rotation by its upper forkengaging the sides of the swinging support. As the nut travels, itoperates the pointer through the described connection to make itregister with the di'erent indications on the scale.

It will be understood that the screw and nut construction will hold theswinging support securely in any position to which it may be adjusted,and no special care is necessary on the part of the operator toaccomplish the holding of the support in the position to which it ismoved. In other words, with my adjusting means it is not necessary forthe operator to first adjust the support and then exercise care to fixit in this adjusted position, but, on the contrary, he need only seethat the support is adjusted to its proper' position and the screwwillthenhold it in this position without further attention from theoperator. Y

I also provide a caster arrangement in which the casters are mounted onmovable supports adapted to be pressed downwardly to elevate the baseabove the floor, and allow the apparatus to rest upon the casters sothat it may be moved from place to place, and when the desired positionhas been reached the casters yare adjusted to allow the base to restfirmly upon the floor, said casters then assuming a position withinzthebase. As shown in Fig. 8, the base 27 has surfaces at 2S for receivingthe standards l and on its under side, as shown in Figi), it isprovidedwith bearings 29 for a rock shaft 30, which is operated by alever 31 extending up through the base. The rock shaft has arms 32 atits ends carrying rollers 33 to bear'upon the ends of levers or carrierplates 34 pivoted within the hollow base at 35, these plates havingmounted thereon the casters 36. The downward movement of the carriers orsupports 34 forthe casters is limited by brackets or stops37 Adependingfrom the under side of the base. When the lever 31 is to be in theposition .shown in Fig. 9, the casters are Vthrown below the lower edgeof thebase, and the apparatus maythenbe rolled yfrom place to place, butwhenit is desired'to use the. parallel .bar

structure vfor exercising, thelevers 31' arel thrown down, there beingone at each end of the apparatus, so that the base will then rest on thefloor, the casters then being located within the base at or above itslower edge. It will be observed that by my arrangement a singleoperating lever 3l controls both of the 'casters at one end of themachine, for which purpose the rock shaft 30 extends laterally inrespect to the apparatus, anda caster is controlled from each end ofthis rock shaft.V The base plate arrangement 27,A with the casterstructure just described, is duplicated at the other end of the machine,suitable connecting means being provided between the base casting at oneend and that at the other end of the apparatus. The levers 31, when intheir lowermost position, fit in recesses 38 in the base castings, sothat they will be entirel out of the way. i

I claim as my invention Y Y l. In combination in apparatus of the classdescribed, a standard, a swinging support mounted therein and carryingthe parallel bar, and means for-adjusting the swinging support byimparting a movement thereto, said means serving also to hold thesupport in its adjusted position, substantially as described. Y

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of astandard, aswinging support, a screw rod or shaft mounted in the standard, a nuton-the screw rod, and a connection between said nut and the swingingsupport, substantially as described.

3. In combination in apparatus of the class described, a standard, aswinging support having a forked. lower end, a postor bar adjustablevertically in the swinging support, a screw shaft or rod mounted in thestandard, and anut thereon having a forked end embracing the lower endof the swinging support, with a pin passing through the fork thereof,substantially as described. I j Y 4. In apparatus of the classdescribed, a standard, a swinging support, adjusting means connected.with the lower end of the 6. In combination a standard,.a swingingsupport mounted therein, a screw shaft mounted in the standar,da nutthereon having a member engaging the lower endY o f the swingingsupport, anin'dicator mounted in the standard, the said nut having afork,

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and a crank arm between the said fork and indicator, substantially asdescribed.

7. In combination in apparatus of the class described, a standard, aswinging support, and a screw rod in connection with the swingingsupport for imparting movement thereto, and for positively *holding theswinging support in adjusted position, substantially as described.

8. In combination in apparatus of the class described, a base, a rockshaft supported in bearings on the base, casters at opposite ends of therock shaft and means intermediate the rock shaft, and the casters, forthrowing the said casters at the opposite ends of the rock shaft, intouse simultaneously when the shaft is turned, and means for turning theshaft.

9. In combination in apparatus of the class described, a base, a rockshaft mounted in bearings on the base, a plate at each end of the rockshaft pivotally mounted, casters carried by said pivoted plates, andarms projecting from the rock shaft for operating the pivoted platessimultaneously, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MILTON B. REACH.

Witnesses:

BEATRICE BARTLETT, E. P. FINIGAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

